There is an ever increasing demand for wireless communications. Wireless subscribers desire to have access to information at any time and at any place. One of the fastest growing markets for providing wireless services is known as “telematics” and entails delivering a wide spectrum of information via wireless links to vehicle-based subscribers. The information can originate from multiple sources, such as the Internet and other public, private, and/or government computer-based networks; wireless telecommunications such as cellular, Personal Communication Service (PCS), satellite, land-mobile, and the like; terrestrial and satellite direct broadcasts including traditional AM/FM bands, broadband, television, video, geolocation and navigation via a global position system (GPS), and the like; concierge services providing roadside assistance, emergency calling, remote-door unlocking, accident reporting, travel conditions, vehicle security, stolen vehicle recovery, remote vehicle diagnostics, and the like; advertising services identifying names and locations of businesses such as gas stations, restaurants, hotels, stores, and offices, and the like; tourist services such as points of interest, directions, hours of access, and the like; and many other sources that can provide information of any type. Many of the above services are not universally available, but rather they are transient in both the time and geoposition domains.
Information can be communicated to telematics devices over relatively long wireless links, such as from a satellite or terrestrial node, or from relatively short wireless or wired links, such as from in-vehicle equipment or from hand-held devices like PDAs, portable computers, cellular phones, and the like. The services provided by telematics systems are not restricted to vehicle-based subscribers, and they can also be provided to subscribers at home, at work, or elsewhere.
As telematics communication systems continue to evolve, a telematics communication unit of a vehicle will have a greater number of communication interfaces. However, as for any wireless communication device which is mobile, the device could move in and out of areas which are covered by various wireless communication networks. Further, the various wireless communication networks which may be available to a telematics communication unit of a vehicle have different communication capabilities and characteristics, such as bandwidth, or bit rate, error rate, latency, etc. These different communication networks may also have different costs associated with the transmission of data. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of optimizing the transmission of data in a wireless communication network in order to provide services at an efficient cost.